Horse-detacher



(Model.)

J. S. SMITH. Horse Detaoher.

Patented sept. 1880.

rlll'lllllllll! llnTTisn STaTns nTnNT Tries JAMES S. SMITH, OF FORT IAYNE, INDIANA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,082, dated September 7, 1880,

Application led August 7, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SION SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort 4llayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Whiflletrees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a whiflietree so constructed that the horse may he instantly detached from the vehicle by the driver when desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is atop or plan view of my whiftletree with the upper plate, A, removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the central portion of the same coinplete. Fig. 3 is a side or edge view of said central portion. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line a m of Fig. 2.

Figs. 2 and 3 are on a somewhatlarger scale than Fig. I, and Fig. 4L is on a still larger scale.

A and A are two plates forming the central portion' of the wh iftletree and extendin g a little more than half its entire length.

B and B are two swinging bars between the plates A A', and pivoted thereto at a a', having at their outer ends hooks b b', to which the traces `are hitched. These hooks are so formed that when said bars swing round on their pivots the traces will automatically slip off and become released.

G is a hole for the king-bolt, which is surrounded by a rubber plate or ring, c. This rubber ring is of such size that when the arms B and B are extended and locked in position their inner curved ends will press against its periphery, audits elasticity will keep said ends firmly pressed against the lugs or stops el d, which hold them in position, and thus prevent any backlash and obviate noise.

D is a spring secured to the upper side of plate A, having two lugs or stops, d d, projecting downward and passing through holes in said plate when said spring is pressed down upon it.

E is a lock for holding said spring D securely down upon the plate A, so that thelugs d d will operate as stops to prevent the pivoted lever-arms B B from turning, except when it is desired to detach the horse. This lock consists of a sliding bolt, F, a spiral (Model.)

spring, f, to press thesame forward overspring D, and hold the latter down upon plate A, and a tlat spring', j" at the rear end of said bolt F, which, by springing upward when the bolt is drawn back, prevents the holt from being carried forward again by the spiral spring j'. These locking devices are inelosed in a case secured to the upper side of plate A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

A cord, g, is attached to the rear end of the lock-bolt F, the free end of which is carried back and through the bottom of the buggy, thence up over the dash-board, and down 'to the end of spring D, to which it is made fast.

When, in case of accident, or of the horse becoming unnianageable, it is desired to release him from the vehicle a pull upon the cord g will draw back the lock-bolt F, releasing the spring D, which will spring up so as to raise the lugs d d from behind the curved ends of the lever-arms A A', and the latter will swing around on their pivots, so that the traces will slip off the hooks. If the elastieityof the spring D should fail to raise the lugs d d sufficiently, a pull upon the cord g will secure that result.

The harness to be used with this invention must be so constructed that when the traces are detached the horse will freely pass from the shafts. To accomplish this, instead of faste-ning the holdbackstraps to the shafts in the usual way, I fasten them to shaft-holders, and have bosses or lugs on the under sides of the shafts to prevent the latter from running through the holders, but leaving them free to slip out when the traces are detached.

I have shown and described my invention as adapted to a one-horse vehicle; but it is manifest that it is also applicable to a twohorse carriage, in which case the whifiletree will be attached to the double-tree.

I do not limit myself to the precise construction of the devices shown and described for locking ,the arms A A in their extended position and releasing them therefrom, as other equivalent devices, operating in substantially the same manner to effect the same result, may be substituted without changing the essential principles of my invention. I

What I claim as my invention isl. The plates A and A', the arms B and B', pivoted between them, the rubber ring c, the

IOO

springs fj", inolosed in a oase, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES SION SMITH. lL. s] Witnesses:

BEVERLY G. Bliss, CHARLES A. SMITH. 

